Jensen Huang has been summoned to testify before Congress within hours of resigning as chief executive of Nvidia, as lawmakers on both sides demand answers about the chip giant’s sales to China and his relationship with a woman US officials say was recruited by Chinese intelligence. The Huang Congress testimony will be the first public reckoning for the former chief of the world’s most valuable chipmaker.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sent letters on Thursday to Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, asking Huang to testify on December 3 and Lutnick on December 10, and warning Huang of a subpoena if he does not appear voluntarily. In the House, the chairmen of three committees sent a joint letter requiring Huang to sit for a closed-door transcribed interview on December 1, and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter on December 2, or face subpoenas. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast said Huang had agreed to brief lawmakers before Thanksgiving, with the date still being negotiated.
At the Centre: Megaspeed and $4.8 Billion in Chips
At the centre of the inquiry is Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, a businesswoman and former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based Nvidia customer. United States officials say she was recruited by China’s intelligence agency, and the Justice Department is investigating whether she is a spy, though it has not reached a conclusion. Lawmakers want to know whether the relationship exposed sensitive American technology to Chinese intelligence, and whether Nvidia’s advanced chips reached China in breach of export controls.
Megaspeed reportedly purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of advanced Nvidia AI chips since June 2024, according to reports cited by lawmakers. The Justice Department is also investigating whether Nvidia chips were diverted to China in a separate chip-smuggling case. Democrats have opened their own investigation: Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Richard Neal asked Lutnick to preserve all communications concerning Nvidia chip sales decisions, while Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons wrote to Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller demanding that government offices retain relevant records.
Bipartisan Pressure Builds
The pressure is bipartisan. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Congress must demand answers from Huang, Nvidia and the Trump administration. Warren, the top Democrat on the banking committee, said Huang’s resignation “does not absolve him, other executives or the company as a whole of responsibility for putting our national security at risk or for any potential violations of our laws.” Huang resigned on Thursday after reports of an affair with Alice Huang and of relationships with two employees. Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, is serving as interim chief executive. The White House is also weighing replacing Lutnick as commerce secretary, according to reports. Read our earlier report on the affair claim and resignation here: https://reportrig.com/kimberly-powell-who-is-nvidia-executive-in-huang-affair-claim/
